Baseball Semifinals Today at Mella Stadium

Artemisa and Las Tunas Clash to Complete Semifinal Field
Following an electrifying start with Sunday's duel between the Industriales Lions and the Matanzas Crocodiles, the semifinal playoffs in Cuban baseball are completed today with the clash between the Artemisa Hunters and the Las Tunas Lumberjacks, from the Julio Antonio Mella Stadium in the Balcony of the East.

In what should mean a challenge before a packed house on the champions' home turf, the Hunters will attempt to defy the dominance of Abeisy Pantoja's squad, who arrive with sky-high motivation after coming from behind at home in a difficult quarterfinal matchup against the Villa Clara Sugarmakers.

Starting Pitchers Announced
According to recent reports, Geonel Gutiérrez and Yosmel Garcés will be tasked with throwing the first pitches as starters for their respective sides in a game scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, the same time the Lions and Crocodiles will return to the diamond from the Victoria de Girón stadium in this city.

Preview of the Second Game in Matanzas
Regarding that latter clash, left-hander Yamichel Pérez is expected to be the one to seek the second win for the squad commanded by Armando Ferrer. Meanwhile, Remberto Barreto could be the designation for the capital's blue team, focused on tying the series before embarking on a trip to Havana.

Last Sunday, the reds prevailed 4-1 in the first semifinal matchup, thanks to the solid arms of Yoanni Yera (winner) and Armando Dueñas (save), along with a stellar performance from Yurisbel Gracial, who drove in one run and scored two others to lead the local offense.

Championship Series Ahead
The winners of the semifinals will compete for the Cuban title in a best-of-seven playoff, where the action will begin on the home field of the team that finished higher during the qualifying phase.